notion • john murphy

44 - PROBLEMS

   Sayah wondered if he knew she was behind him. She stood up a little straighter. She wanted his attention, even if she didn't exactly know why.

   "Ah, you shouldn't have come." Raven stopped beside him, squinting her eyes in the sun as she glanced at the boy. "You're not fooling anyone, Murphy. You're still a dick."

   Sayah snorted at that, catching Murphy's attention as he turned around. Her heart stuttered strangely, in only a way he could make it do. His eyes fell on her first and then dropped to her and Luna's connected hands. Sayah thought he'd speak up about it but his eyes were back on hers in seconds, something unrecognisable mixing in with the strange blue. She noted how they didn't quite match the blue of the sea beside her like she thought they would. But they seemed to keep her still, in place, and it felt like it was just them.

   Murphy's jaw clenched, in the way it would when he was irritated, Sayah knew, and he knew that she knew, because he bit the inside of his cheek before facing the front and continuing to walk, following after the Emori girl.

   Only then could Sayah breathe, the smell of the sea hitting her at the same time the feeling of Luna's soft hand in her own did. If only he knew what he seemed to do to her.

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   As they made their way across the beach, Emori leading the way. Sayah's eyes fell down to the ground beneath her as she trudged along, staring at the shells littered across like stars in the sky—not arranged, but somehow looking like they were meant to be. None of them would feel like the one she held, Sayah knew that, but nonetheless, they all looked the same as her own. Sayah's attention was brought away from the shells as suddenly Emori stopped, staring at some pole that stood tall in a line, several others beside going each way, like a barrier.

"What's wrong?" Abby questioned the girl, wondering why there was a delay. The woman was eager to see the lab and run tests on Luna, Sayah could just tell.

"Alie's rules—no frikdreina past this line. I've never crossed it." Emori explained, swallowing nervously. Sayah's eyes were on Murphy, who stood a little behind Emori, and she suddenly wanted to step a little closer. Why was he so close to her?

"Frinkdreina?" Jackson repeated, confused.

"Mutants." Emori translated.

Sayah sighed, walking forward, Luna's hand falling out of her own in the process. Luna followed her anyway as Sayah passed by Emori, staring at her. She scolded herself in realising the movement only made Emori scoot a little closer to Murphy. She clenched her jaw. "You gonna let an AI tell you what to do?"

Emori's lips parted at her words as Sayah walked past the 'line' without hesitation. Murphy hid his smirk at Sayah's words. "I've never met a line I didn't cross." He said before crossing over as well. The others began to follow, wanting to reach the lab just as desperately.

"Alright everyone, lets go." Abby urged them all on. "We have a long walk ahead of us."

Sayah furrowed her brows as she watched Murphy stay put, staring at Emori. Murphy offered out a hand to Emori, which she took and crossed the line as well. Sayah felt something grow angry inside of her at the sight. What, she can't walk by herself? She needs someone to hold her hand?